A Thousand Years
by RedvineWarbler
Summary: Swearing and possible triggering - brain damage. Blaine has graduated and Kurt has almost finished his first year at NYADA. Blaine is coming to see Kurt's end of years shows. Not everything always works out how we might hope or expect it to.
1. Disaster

Inspired by Christina Perri's _A Thousand Years_

It will enhance story if you listen to it while reading.

* * *

Blaine grinned goofily on Kurt's computer screen.

"I love you babe, and I've gotta go now but I promise, I'll be over there on Saturday for opening night, kay?" Blaine spoke from Ohio to Kurt in New York on Skype, the Thursday before Kurt's fourth to last week of his year at NYADA, which was going to end with a show that his class put on and then studying their reviews and bettering themselves through it. Kurt was playing the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Not the most glamorous of roles, but at this stage, he would take anything.

"Okay, honey I'll see you on Saturday!" Kurt cheered, adding, "Now go pack! And remember to bring your yearbook, so we can look at how goofy everyone was this year!"

Blaine laughed, "Will do. Night, Kurt." He blew a kiss at his webcam.

Kurt giggled and pretended to catch it, placing it against his heart. "I love you, Blaine."

"Love you too, Kurt." He started to wave. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Kurt giggled and ended the call.

* * *

On Saturday evening, it wasn't Blaine that showed up at his dressing room door before the show.

It wasn't Blaine that looked him in the eyes and told him that something had happened.

It wasn't Blaine that had been there to comfort him as he cried into his phone talking to his Dad.

It _was_ Blaine who had pre-ordered the single red rose that Kurt fiddled with before and after the opening show.

It _was_ Blaine who had _promised_ he would be there.

It _was_ Blaine whose car had crashed on the way to the airport.

It _was_ Blaine who lay in a hospital bed in Lima for the last four weeks of Kurt's tuition in New York.

* * *

Kurt had spoken to his Dad every day since, checking up on Blaine's progress. He was immensely sad that he couldn't be there with his boyfriend, but then, after the year had finished, he wasn't so sure he wanted to go to Ohio.

He didn't want to see Blaine any different to the way that he had last seen him.

He didn't want to see the way Blaine walked now, or hear how hard it was for him to talk.

He waited for another two weeks, love finally taking over the fear in his heart.

He boarded the plane.


	2. Pain

Blaine sat on a seat next to Burt in the Airport, watching the flights on the screen as they arrived and departed.

He had memorised the number of the flight that Kurt was on, and he watched as the double digit number turned into a single digit number, showing how long it was until Kurt would arrive.

His hands tensed on his walking frame every time Burt spoke to him, asking him how long the screen said it was until Kurt was here. But when Blaine realised Burt's request, he looked up to the screen and found Kurt's flight number, with the number next to it.

"T-two min-minutes." He announced proudly. "Two minutes!" he said again, more confidently, with a lopsided grin, realising that Kurt would be here sooner now, rather than later.

"Thanks, Blaine!" Burt praised. "He's gonna be here soon, isn't he?" Burt asked and Blaine nodded eagerly.

Blaine started to drum his fingers on his frame with impatience and tap his foot to some beat that must have only existed in his mind. He began to sing, albeit awkwardly, in time with his tapping and drumming, "Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a-" but he stopped abruptly when a small child gave him a dirty look. "B-bur-urt." Blaine moved to grab Burt's shoulder, but gave a yelp of pain.

"No, Blaine that arm is still really sore, remember? You shouldn't move it too much, only to keep your walker steady, right?"

Blaine nodded, frowning. He looked back to the small child that was still staring at him. "Fuck off!" He yelled. "Fuck off fuck off fuck off fuck off fu-"

"Blaine! You know better than that." Burt looked to the child, whose mother was now moving her away from Blaine, muttering something about uncontrollable retards under her breath.

"Excuse me ma'am? What did you just call him?" Burt stood up angrily, moving towards the lady when Blaine spoke quietly.

"N-no, Burt. Used to-it. Fag, faggot, now retarded faggot."

Burt turned back to Blaine and he knelt down on the floor. "Oh, no, Blaine, you're none of those things! Don't believe that for a second."

Blaine began to shiver, and he clenched his teeth – what he did when he was trying to hold back tears. What he always did.

Burt needed to find a way to distract Blaine.

"Arrived! Arrived!" Apparently Blaine had already found it.

Burt looked up to the screen. Yep, Kurt's plane had landed.

He saw Blaine looking at the stairs, craning his head, trying to seek out Kurt in the crowd.

"Relax, Blaine. He'll be coming!"

Blaine giggled, as if at some private joke that Burt didn't understand. But he stopped suddenly, his eyes staring at one spot on the stairs. "Kurt."

Burt stood up and followed Blaine's line of vision. "Kurt!" Burt said loudly, and Kurt heard his voice, looking around frantically for his father.

Burt ran forward and Kurt found him, running down to meet his father.

Blaine watched from a distance. Moving slowly to stand up, remembering the instructions. "_First, make sure the brakes are on._" He checked. "_Don't put too much weight on your left arm for now, as you stand up, holding onto the frame._" He put less weight on his left arm and stood. "_Once you're up straight, put your right foot forward._" He put his right foot forward. "_Take the brakes off._" He took the brakes off. "_And walk slowly._"

He looked up to see Kurt staring straight at him. Burt was holding his things and going to get his luggage.

"_Step by step, Blaine._"

"One step closer," he sang softly to himself. He took one step with his left foot, letting his frame guide him.

"I have died every day," another step "waiting for you." Another step.

He hadn't broken eye contact with Kurt.

"Darling don't be afraid," one more step. Kurt stayed where he was, staring, unmoving, "I have loved you for a thousand yeaaaah!" His left arm throbbed . He had put too much pressure on it and now he was slipping. He broke eye contact with Kurt and tried to steady himself, but his frame kept moving.

He was aware that people were staring.

He heard a yell that wasn't his and frantic footsteps.

He let out another yell as he fell, but he didn't hit the ground.

Strong arms secured around his waist. His name was breathed into his ear. "Blaine," Kurt whispered, "I've got you."

Blaine felt a drop of water hit his forehead. "I've got you."

Blaine heard Kurt sniff. "I've got you, Blaine."


	3. Determination

Blaine had to sit in the front seat to give his legs more room, so Kurt sat in the back seat of Burt's car on his own. He began to drift off to sleep, tired from crying, whilst trying to steady Blaine, and all the stress that surrounded him.

He awoke to his dad shaking him gently. "Kurt, buddy we're home."

"Hmm? Oh." Kurt yawned and unbuckled himself, stepping out of the car and letting Burt close it behind him. He stretched his arms to the sky and yawned yet again, giving himself a chance to look around the neighbourhood. He smiled slightly to himself. Nothing had changed.

"Blaine's waiting, Kurt." Burt broke him from his reverie and the smile fell from Kurt's face.

"Oh. Right. Of course." Kurt spoke, not quite sure of himself. "Well, let's go inside, I guess."

Kurt headed for the door but Burt pulled him back. "Look, Kurt. I know this is gonna be hard but we're just gonna have to work through this. He hasn't really changed that much, he just gets frustrated sometimes and he'll require a lot of your patience, okay?"

Kurt nodded. "I – I know Blaine. I'm sure he's just – I mean we'll be able to – I – I... I love him, Dad."

"I know, kiddo." Burt said "Just give yourselves time." Kurt stared wide eyed at his father and nodded. "Come on." Burt put his arm around Kurt's shoulder and directed him to the door.

Burt closed the door behind them and called out to his wife, "Carole, look who I picked up!" Kurt smiled and brushed his hair from his forehead as Carole appeared from the kitchen and embraced him. "Oh, I've missed you, Kurt."

"I've missed you too, Carole." Kurt smiled as he pulled away, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Now come on," Carole pulled on Kurt's hand, "I'm making chocolate chip cookies and Blaine's finishing the excess batter off. Maybe if you hurry you can get some too."

Kurt laughed, "Blaine! Make sure you leave some for me!" He ran into the kitchen where he found Blaine licking a spoon at the table. He reached into the mixture bowl and brought out a spoon with some of the batter on it. He held it out for Kurt. "Of c-course, Kurt." Kurt smiled and sat on the opposite side of the table to Blaine, taking the spoon from his boyfriend.

They ate in silence, Blaine licking his spoon a little more enthusiastically than Kurt.

* * *

Later on that night, after dinner, Blaine and Burt went into the lounge to watch TV, while Kurt and Carole cleaned up.

"What's on your mind, honey?" Carole asked Kurt, who had been drying the same dish for a good five minutes. He was staring blankly into space.

"Kurt?"

"Hm?" Kurt blinked and turned to Carole. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking you what was on your mind." Carole said, her voice warm and caring. "Although I don't think it would take me too many guesses to get it."

Kurt pressed his lips into a firm line and put the dish away. "I'm just... I mean I don't know what's going to... happen... now."

"With Blaine?" Carole ventured.

Kurt nodded, tears falling from his eyes.

"Oh, honey." Carole put down the dish that she was drying and opened her arms for Kurt to come into. Kurt sniffed. "Come here, sweetie."

Kurt fell into Carole's embrace, hiccupping, trying to hold back his sobs.

"I'm sorry, I just - I just..."

"Kurt, listen to me," Carole pulled away from Kurt, but grabbed his shoulders firmly and looked up into his red and watery eyes, "you have _nothing_ to be sorry about. This is a very difficult situation, yes, but everything is going to be okay. It's not going to be easy, and it's going to take a lot of work, emotional and physical, but we'll be okay. _You and Blaine_ will be okay."

Kurt sniffed again and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thanks."

Carole smiled and went back to her work, Kurt following suit.

They worked in silence until the question that had been plaguing Kurt since the moment he had heard about Blaine's accident spilled out of his mouth. "No one's really told me... Carole, if um... well, is Blaine's... situation... permanent?"

Carole put the last dish away and twisted her lips. She looked at Kurt, who was staring expectantly.

"With a lot of physical therapy, he should be able to regain full use of his legs, but it will take a lot of support, especially from you."

Kurt swallowed on nothing. "Wh-why from me, specifically?"

Carole took a deep breath. "When the accident happened, all that was on his mind was _you_. Getting to finally see you in person. That connection in his brain is the most strong one and is what's going to help the most with his recovery."

Kurt sat down at the table, breathing heavily.

"It's a lot of pressure to put on you, I know, and if it gets to be too much, you have to let us know because we only want the best for you Kurt."

Kurt nodded slowly, taking everything in.

"As for Blaine's mental state, well, only time will tell. It does seem at times that he's regressed to a child like state, but we think that is mainly frustration on his part, because his mind is working over time trying to get his body to work for him, but the connections are just too slow, or incredibly weak."

"I'll do anything for Blaine." Kurt said with sudden determination. "I will. I love him and I know that he loves me too. He still does. Nothing has changed." He looked up at Carole. "When's his next physical therapy session? I want to go."


End file.
